Newbie question about the # symbol

I have just started learning Ruby and I am going through as much 
documentation as I can find.  The only question that I cannot seem to 
find an answer to concerns the use of the # symbol when referring to 
methods (I think I've seen it used to refer to both class and instance 
methods).

Here is an example:
 http://www.**--****.com/ #IO.select

On the above page there is a link to "Kernel#select" which is a class 
method.

and here: 
 http://www.**--****.com/ #Object.is_a_qm

There is a link to "Object#kind_of?" which is an instance method. 
Clearly the purpose of the hash mark has another purpose.  Anyone know 
what document explains this?

Thanks!
Justin

-- 
Posted via  http://www.**--****.com/ 

# is not Ruby syntax, it's a documentation convention that denotes
"instance method," as in "kind_of? is an instance method of Object" as
opposed to "class method," which is distinguished by a period between
the class name and the method name.

The notation's explained in the preface:

 http://www.**--****.com/ #S10

Basically it means "the instance method kind_of? implemented by the 
Object class"; not really syntax, but convention for discussing Ruby. 
The 'ri' utility uses something similar.

-- 
Posted via  http://www.**--****.com/ 

Class methods are also often shown as follows:

   MyClass::class_method

ri even seems to favor this notation.

James Edward Gray II

Actually, all the Kernel methods are instance methods, so they can be  
mixed into Object.

James Edward Gray II

Ahh ok, excellent thank you that was confusing me quite a bit.

-- 
Posted via  http://www.**--****.com/